Save yourself £100 and help save the planet – put litter in a bin or take it home

North East Lincolnshire Council has fined more than 600 people so far this year in the fight against litter.

Between 1 January and 30 September, officers working on the Council’s behalf fined 427 people for dropping litter.

A further 142 cases where people did not pay the fixed penalty notice in time were heard in court. The average penalty for these cases is £399.

Enforcement officers are also investigating another 194 motorists for littering from their vehicles.

Fines are issued as part of North East Lincolnshire Council’s contract with Doncaster Council.

According to research by Keep Britain Tidy, cigarette butts and other smoking-related items are littered the most. These are followed by sweet wrappers, drink and fast-food packaging.

Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

“Litter makes the place look a mess, it’s harmful to wildlife and the environment, and it costs a fortune to clean up. If you drop litter, we will fine you £100.

“With 979 litter bins in convenient locations around the borough, you are never far from a bin in North East Lincolnshire.

“Street cleansing staff empty our bins in busy areas every day. If a bin is full, find another or take your rubbish home with you.

“Enforcement officers are on patrol and will fine offenders £100.”

Six reasons why litter is bad

1. Cost – North East Lincolnshire Council spends about £1.5 million on street cleansing each year.
2. Harms wildlife and children – sadly, wildlife are the main victims when it comes to litter. The RSPCA receive around 5,000 calls a year about animals injured by litter. Children can also cut themselves on broken glass or the sharp edges of a drinks can.
3. Attracts vermin – rats and other pests love litter, especially food waste. If you drop your leftover chips and other food scraps on the ground, you are inviting rats to feast on them.
4. Pollutes our sea – Litter dropped on the street, on the beach or in a park doesn’t stay there. Rainwater and wind carries plastic, cigarette ends and other litter into streams and rivers, and through drains. Drains lead to the sea. For us, that’s the Humber Estuary and the North Sea. Cigarette filters are made of thousands of toxic ingredients, including arsenic, lead and nicotine, all of which can pollute seas and rivers.
5. Unsightly – litter makes the place look a mess.
6. It’s killing the planet – the natural environment isn’t equipped to deal with litter. A lot of resources and energy go into making things like plastic water bottles and aluminium drinks cans. If they’re disposed of properly, they can be recycled.

Five most common types of litter according to Keep Britain Tidy

1. Cigarette ends and smoking-related litter
2. Sweet wrappers
3. Cans, plastic bottles, lids etc for soft drinks
4. Fast food packaging and paraphernalia
5. Cans, bottles etc for alcoholic drinks.